Woven elastic fabric



April 9, 1957 J, v MOQRE 2,788,026

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'JOHN v. MOORE.

United States Patent 2,788,026 WOVEN ELASTIC FABRIC John V. Moore,Pawtucket, R. I., assigner to Moore silhncs, Inc., Pawtucket, R. I., acorporation of Rhode Application November 29, 1955, Serial No. 549,795 2Claims. (Cl. 139-421) This invention relates to a woven elastic fabriccomprising a body portion, and a selvage portion at each edge thereof.The fabric is elastic warp-wise only but not weft-wise.

A part of the warps in the body portion are of covered rubber thread andthe remaining body warps are of* non-elastic thread and are preferablydisposed in an openweave leno-type structure.

The preferred weft is a synthetic, single-filament thread which has avery smooth outer surface. To prevent relative displacement of the warpthreads along the weft threads, I provide one or more spirally-woundcovering threads of non-elastic material on the smooth and uniform outersurface of each synthetic weft thread.

Such synthetic weft threads are relatively stiff and, even when covered,they do not bend smoothly and uniformly at the selvages of the fabricbut form rough and unsatisfactory edges.

To cover and conceal these rough edges, I provide a special selvageconstruction with an inner core of covered elastic warps. This innercore is surrounded by an outer set of stretchable but inelastic Warpthreads which will be shortened and looped by the contraction of theassociated elastic warp threads and thus provide a soft edgecoveringstructure.

My invention further relates to arrangements and com binations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFig. l is a plan view of a portion of my improved fabric on an enlargedscale;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of a non-elastic and syntheticsingle-filament covered weft thread;

Fig. 3 is a weave diagram of the selvage portion of my improved fabric;

Fig. 4 is a weave diagram of the body portion; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional and somewhat diagrammatic elevation ofone of the selvage edge portions.

Referring to Fig. 1, my improved fabric comprises covered rubber selvagewarp threads 10, 11, 12 and 13, etc. and inelastic but stretchableassociated Warp threads 2d, 21, 22 and 23 etc.

Successive pairs of inelastic warp threads and 26 may form plain stripesbetween the selvages and the body portion. In the body portion, I mayuse covered rubber body warp threads and 31 and non-elastic or leno warpthreads 33 and 34.

In Fig. 1, only a portion of the selvage warp threads i0 to 13 `and 2dto 23 are shown, and it will be understood that the body elastic warpthreads 30 and 31 are repeated across the width of the fabric, togetherwith associated leno warp threads 33 and 34.

Waft threads are provided, and these weft threads are preferablysingle-filament synthetic threads as shown in Fig. 2, and which areprovided with reverse windings of inelastic covering threads 41 and 42,wound on the threads 4t) at relatively coarse pitch. The effect of thecovering threads 41 and 42 is to provide the relatively smooth syntheticthread 40 with a roughened or interrupted outer surface which willprevent the warp threads from slipping lengthwise of the weft threads,and which will thus preserve the desired structure .and appearance ofthe open weave.

While the details of the selvage weave may be somewhat varied, apreferred construction is as shown in Fig. 1, in which an inelastic warpthread as 20 is associated with each elastic warp thread as 10, and thepair are preferably woven in the same pick and lift.

The selvage Weave is actually double, but is shown single for clearness.One pair of warp threads as 10-20 may be woven one-down and three-up asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, while the next pair, as IIL-21, is woven one-upand three-down. This alternate arrangement is preferably continued untilthe inelastic warp threads 25--26 are reached.

These latter threads are preferably woven plain, oneup and one-downalternately. While only two warp threads 25-26 are shown, it will beunderstood that enough of these inelastic warp threads are provided toform a plain stripe of a desired width between each selvage portion andthe body portion.

The body portion may have the elastic warp threads woven one-up andone-down as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 but held in place transversely byleno warp threads 33 and 34 which cross alternately and in the manner ofa common leno weave.

Fig. 3 is a weave diagram of one of the selvage portions, with theraised warps indicated by the letter U for up, and with the depressedwarps indicated by the letter D for down A weave for the body portion issimilarly designated in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5, the etect of release and contraction of the covered rubberselvage warps 1d to 13 and the shortening of the associated inelasticwarps 20 to 23 is indicated somewhat diagrammatically. The generaleffect is that the elastic warps as 10 to 13, etc. will contract to formthe core of the selvage, while the associated inelastic but stretchedwarps 2t) to 23, etc. .are shortened along with the contracting elasticwarps but form loose loops and without actual contraction. These looseloops form a soft or cushioned covering for the rough and sharp edgebends of the mono-til weft.

An extremely satisfactory woven elastic fabric of open weave is thusprovided, which is well adapted for use in footwear or for other similarpurposes.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In an elastic fabric, a selvage portion comprising a plurality ofelastic warp threads and a plurality of inelastic but stretchable warpthreads, all of said warp threads being woven in stretched condition,and the elastic warp threads when released contracting said inelasticwarp threads to a looped condition and thus providing a definitely softsurface .about the selvage edge of the fabric.

2. In an elastic fabric, a selvage portion comprising weft threads, aninner group of elastic warp threads, and an outer group of inelastic butcontracted warp threads, and said contracted inelastic warp threadsproviding a relatively soft outer edge for said selvage portion.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,061,073 Headley Nov. 17, 1936 2,117,975 Moore May 17, 1938 2,418,187Moore Apr. l, 1947 2,582,169 Schappa Jan. 8, 1952 2,668,565 Clay Feb. 9,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,931 Great Britain 1901

